- Penn National paid out a $10k settlement over a reportedly misleading TikTok video.
- The video was posted to a Barstool Sports account.
- Penn National owns a 36% stake in Barstool Sports.
INDIANAPOLIS – Casino and racetrack operator Penn National paid a $10,000 settlement to the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) on Monday because of a TikTok video posted by Barstool Sports.
False Advertising?
Digital media company, Barstool Sports, reportedly posted a controversial video on the social media app TikTok, that was subsequently removed 12 hours later when the company’s social media manager realized the content of the video.
The video was found to feature “false and misleading advertising” about Indiana gambling by the Indiana Gaming Commission, which led to the settlement (fine).
“A junior member of Barstool’s social media team posted a questionable video discussing gambling losses with a 12-second duration on a Barstool-owned and controlled TikTok account,” said the IGC notice last week.
Paying The Penalty
According to Penn National, the employee who posted the video was suspended for a month without pay, and the whole company underwent a seminar for responsible gaming the following day.
The issue with the video according to the IGC, is that its content was in breach of IC 4-38 and/or 68 IAC.
Penn paid the $10,000 settlement for Barstool Sportsbook since they own a 36% stake in the operation and are its parent company.
The video has reportedly been reposted on other social media accounts where it can still be viewed, but those accounts are unrelated to Penn and Barstool Sports.
While Indiana does offer regulated sports betting and various retail and online gambling options, the IGC takes potential false advertising very seriously.